The Warner sun. (Warner, Brown Co., Dakota [S.D.]) 1885-1???, 1887-05-20
The Clergyman's Ghost.

new TO nm, DuL nalI a dozen OF MS
predecessors had occupied the house
which was pretty in itself, and pretti-
ly situated amid shrubbery and trees.
The place was q smart town in north
eTn Michigan. The pastor and his
wife were entertaining for day three
of Mr.. Starkey's classmates at college.
These gentlemen came up from Ohio
for duck shooting on the Lake Huron
shore and had stopped for Il visit to
their old sChOOIteUOW in his new lOCa-
ton.
After dinner visitors and hosts were
sitting in the cosy parIOr while the
shades of night deepened. The talk
was lively, and all were in the best Of
spirits, when one of the visitors sud
denly exclaimed:
"What's that"
Of course every body looked at every
body else and the visitors saw in Mrs.
Starkeye S face an expression Of annoy.
ance almost amounting to distress.
1t was John Trennam whomade the
exclamation. His comrades, Jack
Duceman and Henry Ketlow, demand
ing in one breath:
"Wh&t is it, JOhn?"
whats the matter, old fellow"
Trennam exclaimed: "Why, that
voice, Didn't you hear it, Starkeye?
A mutfied sound like the-There it
goes again. Do you hear that"
Every one had heard it this time.
A muhled voice, truly, but the words
were plainly heard
"Oh-h.h-h-h. Done"
A I uvall ,,y>Dv, = bo Erc+
a sort of crescendo wall, then an in
stant's pause and the second word
came, short and sharp, but in loud.
er tone:
"Oh-h-h-h-h! DON'T"
4 wOman's voice, evidently. So it
seemed to all the listeners.
Mrs. S'arkeye was the first to speak.
-'It has come, DoyCe," she said to her
husband, and the manner, not less
than her words, told that the wailing
voice was not news to them but was
dreaded by her. at least.
"Starkeye," cried Duceman, spring
ing to his feet, with your permission
We'll lay this ghost for you. Isee it
must annoy you. Do give us leave?
All, that's right. Come, boys, let's
get to the bottom of it. A parson
can't 90 ghost-hunting, but we can"
1t was arranged that Trennam
should keep watch at the west win
dow OF the parlcr. Duceman was to
stealthily station himself at the west
~ end OF the front porch, and Ketlow
went to the second floor room above
the parlor. A little cool headed
watching, they thought, would dis
cover something in no very long time.
They were to remain at their posts
for an hour, if nothing was found out
meanwhile, and then reassemble in
the parlors to consider further steps.
The night was not dark, but it was
difficult to see much around the leaf
age surrounding the parsonage. A
soughing, westerly wind came fitfully
through the trees. The friends took
their stations and half an hour went
by, while at intervals the wailing
voice was somewhere about the west
end of the house. But where? Now
it sounded to DuCeman on the porch
as if it we're Just above his head, but
the next time it was heard it seemed
to come from the .op OF silver leaf
poplar that stood close to the west
end of the house. Duceman peered
around toward the poplar, and in
his eagerness stepped off the porch
among the shrubbery.
"0h-h-hl Don'tl"
Almost directly above his head,
Duceman thought He was sure it
was in the poplar tree. He crept slow
ly until he stood under the poplar,
and then looking intently through the
branches dark form outlined against
the sky-a form upon the peak of the
roof and rot in the tree. Duceman
was both elated and indignant as his
discovery.
81 hate practical jokes, and iokers--
especially such stupid ones as this, !"
and he muttered as he stole quickly
and quietly back to the porch into
the house. "Tll give that fellow a
lesson he won't forget, said Duceman
to himself as he secured his dueking
gun and then paid q hasty visit to
Mrs. Starkeye's kitchen.
In a minute more Duceman, gun in
hand, was stealing softly around the
west end OF the house again. There
sat the fellow on the roof, dimly seen
against the sky. DuceInan raised his
gun and fired With a loud shrek the
figure on the roof plunged forward in
to the poplaP tree. But the branches
were small and brittle and the figure
dashed thr ough them and alighsedin
the centre of great arbor vit@. Out
OF this again it rolled spluttering,
groaning and twisting in many contor-
tions. Ducemgn dropped his gun and
sprang forward as the inmates of the
house came hufriediy out.
Great heaven, Ketlowl is it you2"
exclaimed Ducenan, as he reached the